Gyroscope structure and gyroscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551577-B2
Application number	US-201514607223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A gyroscope structure with a specific arrangement of drive and sense structures and coupling spring structures, which allows orthogonally directed motions of larger scale drive and sense structures in a very limited surface area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microelectromechanical gyroscope structure, comprising:
a first pair of drive structures comprising a first drive structure and a second drive structure, wherein said first drive structure is coupled to a first seismic mass and the second drive structure is coupled to a second seismic mass;
a second pair of drive structures comprising a third drive structure and a fourth drive structure, wherein the third drive structure is coupled to a third seismic mass and the fourth drive structure is coupled to a fourth seismic mass,
wherein each drive structure includes a transducer configured to induce primary oscillation of the corresponding seismic mass;
a first pair of sense structures comprising a first sense structure and a second sense structure;
a second pair of sense structures comprising a third sense structure and a fourth sense structure;
wherein the seismic masses of at least one pair of the first and second drive structures are coupled to oscillate in opposite phase and aligned to a common axis of primary oscillation, wherein an axis of primary oscillation of the first pair of drive structures and an axis of primary oscillation of the second pair of drive structures extend orthogonally along a plane of oscillation,
wherein each sense structure includes a sense device and a coupling spring structure, wherein the coupling spring structure connects the sense device to at least one seismic mass of the first pair of drive structures and to at least one seismic mass of the second pair of drive structures,
wherein the coupling spring structure is configured to relay to the sense device a component of the motion of each of the seismic masses in a direction perpendicular to their axis of primary oscillation, and to absorb a component of the motion of each of the seismic masses in a direction of their axis of primary oscillation, and
wherein the sense device is suspended to a static support and configured to oscillate in a direction diagonal to the axis of primary oscillation of the first pair of drive structures and diagonal to the axis of primary oscillation of the second pair of drive structures.

2. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , wherein the first drive structure comprises a first vertical drive structure coupled to the first seismic mass and the second drive structure comprises a second vertical drive structure coupled to the second seismic mass,
wherein the third drive structure comprises a first horizontal drive structure coupled to the third seismic mass and the fourth drive structure comprises a second horizontal drive structure coupled to the fourth seismic mass,
wherein the first sense structure is coupled to the first seismic mass and the fourth seismic mass,
wherein the second sense structure is coupled to the second seismic mass and the third seismic mass,
wherein the third sense structure is coupled to the first seismic mass and the third seismic mass, and
wherein the fourth sense structure is coupled to the second seismic mass and the fourth seismic mass.

3. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , wherein the direction of oscillation of the sense device, which direction is diagonal to the axis of primary oscillation, forms a 45 o (π/4) angle with the axis of primary oscillation.

4. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the drive structures includes a first spring structure that allows for the coupled seismic mass two degrees of freedom.

5. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 4 , wherein
the first spring structure includes a primary element for the first degree of freedom and a secondary element for the second degree of freedom,
the primary element includes an anchor element and a suspension spring that extends between one seismic mass of the seismic masses and the anchor element,
the suspension spring is elastic in the direction of the direction of the primary oscillation of the one seismic mass,
the secondary element couples the one seismic mass and the primary element and is elastic in a direction of the secondary oscillation of the one seismic mass, and wherein the direction of the secondary oscillation of the one seismic mass is orthogonal to the direction of the primary oscillation of the one seismic mass.

6. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , further comprising a drive coupling spring configured to force the primary oscillation of opposite pairs of drive structures to anti-phase mode.

7. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 6 , wherein
the drive coupling spring comprises four diagonal beams, with one end of each of the diagonal beams being anchored to an anchor point between one of the first and second seismic masses and one of the third and fourth seismic masses,
wherein the diagonal beams extend from their respective anchor points toward a center point within the gyroscope structure, and
wherein another end of each of the diagonal beams is connected in a point of connection to two coupling means, one of which extends from the point of connection to the one of the first and second seismic masses, and another one of which extends from the point of connection to the one of the third and fourth seismic masses.

8. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , wherein in each of the sense structures, the coupling spring structure includes a first sense beam and a second sense beam,
wherein the sense device includes a rotor that extends via an extension beam to a coupling point,
wherein the first sense beam extends between the coupling point and the at least one of the first and second seismic masses, and
wherein the second sense beam extends between the coupling point and the one of the third and fourth seismic masses.

9. The microelectromechanical gyroscope structure of claim 1 , wherein
the sense device includes at least one flexible detection element, coupled to a coupling point, and configured to deflect according to motion of the coupling point, and
wherein one or more of the flexible detection elements includes a piezoelectric film deflecting along the deflection of the detection element.

10. A microelectromechanical gyroscope, comprising an electrical circuit and a microelectromechanical gyroscope structure according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Ruohio Jaakko
• Blomqvist Anssi

Classifications

• G01C19/574 Primary

  the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion · CPC title

• G01C19/5712 Primary

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title

• B81B3/0043

  Increasing angular deflection · CPC title

• B81B2201/0242

  Gyroscopes · CPC title

• G01C19/5733 Primary

  Structural details or topology · CPC title